Flash Fiction: Attack of the Giant Birds!

These have to be some of the coolest pieces of artwork in Madison, WI. Gigantic, three-story tall birds, made out of scrap metal. No idea why they’re there, but they’re pretty awesome none-the-less. Great inspiration for a little flash fiction 🙂

“What do you think they are?” Asked Ada, one sneaker crunching onto the gravel next to her bike.

“Birds. Duh,” responded her older brother in a superior tone.

The two kids stared up at the silent, metal monstrosities, rusted in place after years of exposure to the elements. The birds stood on thick iron legs, jointed with locking gear mechanisms, and had stunted wings pieced together from old scrap. The most impressive part of the structures was their skeletal necks, which miraculously supported thick, metallic skulls tipped with pointed beaks.

Ada and her brother quickly lost interest in the still, ancient statues, pushing their bikes along the path in search of frogs and grasshoppers.

Suddenly Ada froze. “Shhh,” she whispered. “Did you hear that?”

Both children peered fearfully around, searching for the source of the screeching groan, a noise that seemed to reverberate throughout the clearing.